


First Impressions

by orphan_account



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, also!! there's a Plot Twist!!!, alternate coming out kind of?? except not, this is a cute and friendly and gay time, this was written before Jack came out to the Falconers, transferred from my tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 05:11:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11456682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Prompt: "One of the Falconers (take your pick) goes to deliver Jack something at home, only to run into Bitty. This is NOT how Jack planned to come out."----Sometimes you get a prompt and you answer it. Sometimes you answer it tangentially because you're tired of stressful coming-out stories. Written before Jack came out to the Falconers.





	First Impressions

The entire apartment smelled like pancakes.

It was one of the things that Jack could always count on. When he got back from his morning run, Bitty would be in the kitchen, sleep-tousled and warm, flipping pancakes over the stove. It was part of the domestic routine that they’d accidentally developed sometime in the last few months. Sunday morning pancakes were predictable and soft and almost always ended in kisses that tasted like strawberries and maple syrup. 

What was not a normal part of that routine, however, was for Jack to come home to see Tater sitting on his couch across from a shell-shocked Bitty. From the way that his teammate was looking at him, it seemed like Jack was staring down the barrel of a conversation that he hadn’t planned on having quite yet. 

This isn’t how Jack had wanted to come out. 

Tater fiddled with the tupperware container in his lap, then looked up at Jack with accusing eyes. An apprehensive, resigned weight settled in Jack’s stomach.

“You said girlfriend made pies, but no girlfriend.” Tater said, voice low. 

“Bitty, he makes the pies.” Tater continued, and Jack felt himself waiting for the word ‘ _boyfriend_ ’ to drop. Maybe the word ‘ _gay_.’ Maybe even something worse, something cruel. “You say nothing about knowing internet celebrity! Why you hide him from us?” 

And that- was not what he’d been expecting Tater to say.

Bitty responded before Jack had even finished processing Tater’s words. “Jack had no way of knowing that anyone up here was watching my blog, Alexei-” 

“Call me Tater,” Alexei said, in his easy, excitedly-friendly way. They couldn’t have known each other for more than thirty minutes, but it seemed like Tater was already smitten enough with Bitty that he would soon find out how cuddly Tater was. (Tater liked to show his affection by throwing his arms around his friends whenever possible. It tended to phase some people, rookies mostly, but after being exposed to Shitty? Jack didn’t even flinch.) 

“Well, Tater,” Bitty said, using the nickname with an endeared smile. “I’m sure Jack would’ve told you that we were friends if he’d known that you watch my vlog. It’s not exactly big enough that he would’ve thought about it.” 

Tater’s laugh rumbled. “You humble; everybody watch your blog! You very good at what you do, maybe get own TV show one day.” 

Bitty let out a genuine, surprised bark of laughter. “My goodness, you’re sweet, but I don’t know about that.” 

Jack dropped into the armchair next to his couch, feeling the tension seep out of him slowly. Either Tater had no idea what was going on between him and Bitty, or he just didn’t care. Seeing how relaxed Bitty was gave him comfort, and he was confident that they’d figure it out either way.

“I’m recognize talent when I see it,” Tater insisted. “ Saw it in Zimmboni, no?” 

Jack was able to smirk a little at that. “Yeah, or maybe I kicked your ass during our first scrimmage.” 

“You’re fast,” Tater conceded. 

“Learned that from him,” Jack said, gesturing to Bitty with his half-empty water bottle before taking a swig from it. Bitty smirked at Tater’s surprised expression. 

“You must be good to get through Zimmboni’s thick head.” Tater joked, eyebrows teased playfully high in an impressed expression. “Don’t think anybody could have easy time teaching him. So stubborn.” 

“You’re telling me,” Bitty retorted. “I’ve known him for two years and had to live with him for one. Do you know how hard it is to room across from someone who doesn’t like Beyonce?” 

Tater looked scandalized. 

“Bitty you know I like _some_  of her music,” Jack said, feeling himself go a little pink from being ~~#exposed~~ put on the spot. “I just didn’t want to hear ‘Partition’ at 3 a.m. every Thursday morning.” 

“You make that sound so unreasonable,” Bitty groused, rolling his eyes. Tater laughed. 

“I like you, Bitty. Maybe you come make pies for me instead of Jack. I let you listen to Beyonce at 3 a.m.” 

Bitty chuckled at that. “Thanks, but I’m going back to Samwell this afternoon. Maybe next time I’m over I’ll bake you something. Do you have any favorites?”

“I like your pear tart recipe,” Tater said earnestly. “Caramel sauce is very hard though, it always burns.” 

“Well, I guess we can make it together. I’ll show you how to keep it from burning next time I’m in Providence.” Bitty said, smiling. Jack smiled at his smile, just because he could. He wasn’t sure it was possible not to smile when his boyfriend seemed to light up the whole room. 

Tater smiled back, then checked his watch. “I have meeting with George and Snowy, but I want to talk to you before I leave. Just a second.” Tater’s eyes flickered to Jack, as if to make sure that was okay, or like he was nervous. Jack smiled in an agreeable way, though whatever anxiety he’d initially had spiked back up. 

“Sure,” Bitty said slowly, glancing quickly at Jack as if to check on him. “I’ll walk you to the door and we can talk.” 

Tater smiled and got up. Bitty followed. And Jack stayed on the couch. 

Jack stayed on the couch and did not panic. 

He did not think of all the potential ways that he could’ve fucked up a very delicate situation. 

And he definitely didn’t jump up the second the door closed behind Tater to go talk to Bitty.

“So, um, what just happened?” He asked after a second of staring at his adorable boyfriend, relieved on some level to see that he seemed about as confused as Jack was. 

“Tater found the spare key and let himself in, then found me making breakfast in the kitchen. I had a heart attack, which he apologized for, and then he started talking about my vlog and-  _Lord_ \- Alexei Mashkov watches my vlog.” 

He stared off into space for a second, absorbing that, before he continued speaking. “And then you got back, sweetheart.”

Bitty fiddled with the end of his sweatshirt’s sleeve for a second. “Also I think that Tater just invited me out to dinner with him and Snowy. Because, in case you didn’t know, um, apparently Tater and Snowy are dating. And they want to talk to me about what it’s like to be openly gay on a hockey team.” 

Jack stared at him open-mouthed for a second. “So… I don’t have to worry about being the first member of the NHL to come out?” 

Bitty shook his head with a smile. “No, Jack, I don’t think you will. They want to come out together at the end of the season.” 

“Oh,” Jack said, silently trying to process everything. An excited smile split across his face. “That’s good. That’s- that’s great, Bitty.” 

Bitty chuckled, leaning up to kiss Jack on the cheek. “I know, baby. I’m happy that you won’t have to deal with all that pressure on top of everything else, but there’s just one thing.”

“Hmm?”

Bitty pulled back and gave Jack his most deadpan glare. “You better move the spare key, because If Alexei Mashkov walks in on us having sex, I might have to break up with you.” 


End file.
